Outlook

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Have been reading all articles which talk about last year s achievements, what worked, what not. The PR machine works like Maya, so even a non entity like Poonam Pandey has a mention in last year's synopsis. While taking my last walk of this year, I was contemplating to write about the year that was for me. Could not find a single achievement. Then I realized how negative I have become. City bashing, Politico bashing, Male bashing but the primary thing is Self bashing.

I have become so bad that when I walk on Shivaji Park, all I can see is the crumpled plates thrown, the new concrete structures by Shiv Sena in the name of park beautification, the ugly flood light poles in the middle of the park, the ice cream cone shaped dustbin broken n abandoned but not removed in the park beautification. There was a perfectly nice Ganpati temple which has already taken over a lot of the park space as they continued concretising the area around the temple. Now the temple is broken and a new larger one coming in its place. Will ensure some more Marathi votes in the upcoming BMC elections.

As I walk feeling bad for us with the fear that I can't raise my voice against the goons, a thought comes. Where in Jharia were there open spaces when I was growing up? It was a concrete jungle. The open spaces were abandoned coal mines where the smoke still came out due to the fire underneath. There was one Lions Children Park where we went for a couple of picnics. Very soon it became a place for men to drink and sleep. Lions club moved on to better projects which will show them in good light in their district / state level meetings. The Government, Central Fuel research Institute colonies, the Tata colonies had greenery ad open space. I have grown up in concrete.No way could one walk alone thru the by lanes in the afternoon or nights. Now with years in Mumbai, I have become this typical Bombayite. I just crib. With all the education and reading habits, I am quick to find faults.

What if for a moment, I change my outlook and start looking for the good in people and places? Received a letter from a friend in the USA. Its an annual letter which the family sends to their friends telling them about the year gone by. They put some pics and they talked about all their trips, weekends, weddings attended and some small moments which touched them. Did it make their year without anything untoward happening? No. But they choose to leave the year with fond memories.

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